Baja & Border News Translations: Ricketts Case Confirmed

Mexicali, BC - Notable alterations of the central nervous system and advanced liver damage were conditions Brayan Ramses "N" was admitted with to the Mexicali General Hospital (HGM) on December 30, said Caleb Cienfuegos Rascon, director of the institution, reporting on the case of the child who died on January 4 of Ricketts.

The clinical picture, he said, began a week before admission to hospital for children, presenting initially as an upper respiratory condition, later evolving to an illness that seemed to be in the digestive tract until finally it presented with alterations in consciousness and eruptions on the skin. These last two symptoms are characteristic of Ricketts.

The director of the HGM stated that due to the characteristics of the disease evolution, it becomes complicated at the beginning to distinguish it from other conditions. Unfortunately this type of patient when first seen in sector health has already extremely deteriorated.

Cienfuegos Rascon explained that even though cases of Ricketts are usually seen in the summer, the reproductive time for ticks – the transmitting fauna insect exists throughout the year becoming even more aggressive in its attacks during the winter.

Óscar Ginera Aparicio, head of the jurisdiction of Health Services, said much has been heard about this minor’s case so health precautions have been implemented in colonies Pro-Hogar, Hidalgo and fractionation Los Portales, recurring places of the child's daily activities, with greater emphasis on the address in Pro-Hogar.

A probe of vectors within six blocks in all directions of the family’s home were treated and inspected in the area, covering 18 homes where they found the presence of 2 ticks and in 18 dogs, 2 were detected with the insect. The same strategy was carried out in Brayan’s home, where only their dog was found with ticks.
However, these and all other results are currently in laboratories of the Ministry of Health to determine where the contamination occurred.

The primary school "Cuarto Ayuntamiento" in the Pro-Hogar colony is where Brayan went. Campus staff not able to provide any data on the case, since all information would be directly granted by the State Educational System (ESS). In requests to the educational authorities, they communicated that the school has complied with all health guidelines required, including the fumigation of facilities.

However, one of the problems that has been identified in that part of the city is that of stray dogs, which are accused of entering the campus through holes in the fence. In that aspect, the ESS representative distanced himself from this situation, because this vector isn't within their control.

The primary school is located one block from the Escuela Normal Fronteriza Nocturna and Biblioteca Pública Municipal in colonia Pro-Hogar, between avenidas Juan Escutia and Ignacio Ramírez and calles Culiacán Rio and San Lorenzo Rio.

In a journey made through the zone, it was confirmed the presence of ownerless dogs were apparently able to gain access to these public facilities. In fact, we witnessed the capture of one of them in the parking lot of Escuela Normal Fronteriza Nocturna by the Center for Municipal Animal Control, also seen in the area.
http://www.oem.com.mx/lavozdelafrontera/notas/n2838669.htm